Phillip Carter
Phil served for nine years in the Army as a military police and civil affairs officer. After leaving active duty in 2001, Phil served in the California Army National Guard and in the Army Reserve. He served in Iraq from October 2005 to September 2006 as an adviser to the Iraqi police with the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Phil is currently an attorney with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP in New York City. He is a regular contributor to national publications on issues of law and national security and his blog Intel Dump recently moved to the Washington Post's opinion section.

David Chasteen
As a Captain in the US Army Chemical Corps, David served with the Third Infantry Division (3ID). He served as the DIVARTY Chemical Officer during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. After the end of major combat operations, Chasteen was selected to establish and operate the NGO operations center at Baghdad International Airport. In May of 2004, he completed his tour with the Army. He currently serves at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

Perry Jefferies
Perry served as a First Sergeant with the Army's 4^th Infantry Division in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before deploying to Iraq, Perry served in Korea, Germany, and the United States. He retired from the military in 2004 after more than 24 years of service. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit and is a member of the Order of Saint George for service to Armor and Cavalry. He currently works at Fort Hood and lives with his family in Central Texas.

Ray Kimball
Ray Kimball was commissioned as an Army aviator through the United States Military Academy in 1995. In January of 2003, he deployed as part of 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After returning from Iraq, he earned an MA in History from Stanford and taught History of Western Civilization at West Point. He remains on active duty as an Army strategist in the rank of Major. His awards include the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Michael Houston, Communications Associate
Prior to joining IAVA, Michael attended Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. He graduated with a BA in History and Government.

Andrew Roberts, Veteran Membership Associate
Andrew Roberts is a former Captain and Army Field Artillery Battery Commander who deployed to Iraq in 2003 with the 4th Infantry Division for a one year tour. He served in the city of Balad Ruz, along the Iranian border, as the American liaison for the city's local government, and received a Bronze Star medal for his service. Andrew is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Blake Henderson, Membership Associate
Blake graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and earned a Masters of International Studies at the University of Sydney. Prior to joining IAVA, Blake was a legal assistant at a law firm in Seattle and volunteered his time as a youth basketball coach.

Vanessa Williamson, Policy Director
As Policy Director, Vanessa develops the IAVA Legislative Agenda, oversees the work of our legislative staff, and produces the organization's policy reports on veterans' issues. Vanessa has served many roles at IAVA since joining the organization in 2004, and now serves as IAVA's Policy Director. She received her MA from NYU, and has worked for several nonprofit and advocacy organizations.

Todd Bowers, Director of Government Affairs
As Director of Government Affairs, Todd works with the Legislative Director as IAVA's liaison to members of Congress, to Veterans Service Organizations, and to other government agencies. Todd served two tours in Iraq as a Civil Affairs Team Sergeant with the United States Marine Corps, and was awarded the Purple Heart and Navy Commendation medal with "V" device for Valor. He studied Middle Eastern Affairs and Arabic at George Washington University in Washington, D.C, and continues to serve his country as a Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserves.

Patrick Campbell, Legislative Director
Patrick serves as a congressional liaison for IAVA, working to advance the organization's legislative agenda among the members of Congress and Veterans Service Organizations. After returning from Iraq in October 2005 after one year of service, he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and the Meritorious Service Medal. Patrick recently graduated Law School from the Catholic University of America, and is a combat medic with the Washington, D.C. National Guard.

Tom Tarantino, Policy Associate
Tom is a former Army Captain who left service in 2007 after 10 years. He returned from Iraq in 2006 after one year of deployment with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Tom served in combat as both a cavalry and mortar platoon leader, and was awarded the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star. Tom graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2002 with a degree in Global Studies and International Relations.

Erin Mulhall, Policy Associate
Prior to joining IAVA, Erin attended Boston College. She graduated with a BA in Political Science and Communications.

Karen Reilly, Project Coordinator
Karen joined IAVA in 2007. She is currently studying government and international politics at George Mason University.

Daniel Atwood, Director of Online Strategy
As Director of Online Strategy, Daniel is responsible for expanding IAVA's online visibility to reach both veterans and civilian supporters using new media platforms. Prior to joining IAVA, Daniel worked as a legal assistant at a New York law firm and has held positions as a computer specialist and academic mentor. Daniel graduated from Trinity College with a BS in Computer Science.

Meghan Teich, Online Strategy Associate
Meghan received her BA in Political Science from Fordham University at Lincoln Center and is the proud daughter of an Army Veteran. Before joining IAVA, she worked at the United Nations Association of the USA.

Devon Collins, Director of Operations
Devon has been with IAVA since 2005, serving as IAVA's Director of Operations for over a year. Devon is responsible for growing the organization through development initiatives and in-house management of IAVA. She graduated Rollins College with a degree in Sociology.

Miranda Payton, Development Associate
Miranda grew up in a military family in Texas, and in 2007 she graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. 

Natasha Bridgelal, Executive Assistant
Natasha worked in a variety of industries including finance and telecommunications prior to joining IAVA. She received an MA in Psychology from The City College of New York, and a BA in English and Psychology from SUNY Albany.